Waipu Branch National Party

Northern Advocate, 11 March 1948, Page 4

Waipu Branch National Party

Officers elected at the annual meeting of the Waipu branch of the National Parly held last night were:— Chairman, Mr D. N. McKay; secretary. Mr D. Russell; committee, Messrs D. 'i. McLean, O. Pocock. D. H. McKay, N. Jones. A. H. Somners, D. R. McKay. C. Thomson, A. K. Russell, A. J. Brooks. R. Cullen, M. Wilkinson, J. R. McKay. Mesdames A. Russell. A. R. Somners, L. Somners, J. Somners, J. McLean. A. Brooks. A. Bowmar, J. I\l. McLean. T. Hodsell. O. Pocock, R. F. McKay. K. H. Couper, C. Thomson, N. Jones, Miss Oakden. Delegates appointed were: Mesrs D. N. McKay. D. Russell. A. K. Russell. A. H. Somners, D. H. McKay. D. I. McLean, Mesdames Hodsell, J. McLean and A. Bowmar.

tai. and Waipapa. below, brought gearback to Mangahino today and will not go out tomorrow. The most serious feature of the strike and one which is causing the Works Department most apprehension is the probability of losing many valuable men. who might seek jobs elsewhere if the strike continues. Friday of this week is the fortnightly pay day. when the men will receive their wages for the two weeks ended last Wednesday. Already there are indications that some of the single men will wait only to be paid. Married men, on the other hand, who have families and homes irl Mangakino, will not be so easily moved by an impulse to leave. NO MEALS? Anticipating a likely exodus of a section of the men, the Works Department yesterday took several precautions. An instruction has been issued that all hut equipment on issue to single men will have to be handed in before wages are paid this week. If the strike lasts for any length of time, single workers will probably find themselves without meals. The four big messes which feed the single men are run by private contractors, and each man pays £3/10/- a fortnight for his meals. The caterers are depending on this income for wholesale food purchases, and a cessation of wages could eventually bring the mess system to a standstill. SUPPORT PLEDGED The stopwork meeting on Tuesday was the culmination of the moves of the last several weeks to have Mr Clapham reinstated as a Public Works Department employee, and support for the men’s efforts was not confined to the Maraetai and adjacent schemes. A telegram was received from ■ the workers engaged on the Kaitawa power scheme at Waikaramoana pledging full support, and Public Wonts Department employees at Karapiro also promised to stand by the Mangakino men. A statement issued by the union executive yesterday afternoon said that Mr Clapham’s political opinions were in no way concerned in the dispute. Mr Clapham did not refuse his transfer on his own account, but Dy the union’s instructions. It was considered that the transfer was a flagrant case of victimisation. P.M. s TELEGRAM Referring to the strike baliot held last night, the statement said every attempt was made to see that every man concerned exercised his right to vote. 0 7 er 100 men employed, who were eligible to become members of the union but had not enrolled, were included. and the scrutineers even visited the sick men. who recorded their votes. Over 700 men voted. Eight hundred men, not 1000, as had been stated, were affected. A copy of a telegram sent by the Prime Minister (Mr Fraser) to ths Mangakino branch of the Labour Party, and the executive’s reply, were read to the meeting, it was stated. The telegram was as follows: "Being satisfied that the engineers at Mangakino are wholeheartedly behind it and the efforts to speed up urgent and essential electric work, the Government requests your support to avoid encouragement to Communistic and disruptive elements which are having the effect .of creating industrial disharmony. "The Government seeks your support in avoiding any cessation of work on this vital undertaking. Kind regards. —Peter Fraser.” REPLY SENT The reply of the executive was: “Local branch not satisfied with engineers’ sincerity in regard to this job. The union delegates were democratically elected to their position. Full support of oranch given to avoid any unnecessary stoppages, but we object to any union democratic principles being' interfered with.” The telegram was signed by Mr C. Lindon and Mr B. Bastin, president and secretary respectively of the Man 7 gakino branch of the Labour Party. In a further statement today, the union executive said the case was one of victimisation of a democraticallyelected union official over his union activities. It was considered that a vital principle was involved, that the union had ■ an untrammelled right to elect its own ' union delegate without interference from departmental officials.